Earlywine previously spent one year on Benny Moss’s staff at the UNCW as an assistant. Prior to arriving at UNCW, he spent seven years as an assistant coach at Weber State University, and three years before that at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

His only other head coaching experience came during the 1995–96 season, when Earlywine was the head coach at NCAA Division II Pfeiffer University. Earlywine led Pfeiffer to a 21–8 record in his only season at the helm.

Earlywine’s first full-time coaching experience came under the tutelage of Rick Majerus, beginning in 1987 at Ball State University for two seasons, then for another four seasons at the University of Utah. Earlywine left Majerus’ staff after the 1992–93 season to join the staff at Central Michigan University for two years.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Earlywine graduated from Campbell University in 1987 with a degree in physical education. He got his first coaching experience at Campbell, serving as a student assistant for the Fighting Camels.

Kirk Earlywine (born July 4, 1964) is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant coach at the University of Idaho and the former head men’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington University. He was hired on June 14, 2007 to replace the fired Mike Burns. Eastern Washington announced it would not renew Earlywine’s contract on March 7, 2011.